FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF COMPLEMENTARY FOOD BASED ON BREADNUT (ARTOCARPUS CAMANSI)

Commercial complementary foods are not affordable by all and the nutrients claims on the labels may notbe reliable whereas there are locally grown and available protein rich seed that can improved both nutrientcomposition and sensory characteristics of the cereal-based complementary foods. Child malnutrition, dueto poor quality of complementary foods, is a major cause of mortality among infants and children in manysub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria inclusive. The study formulated and evaluated complementary foods made fromcomposites of breadnut, sorghum, soybeans and crayfish. Breadnuts (Artocarpus camansi) were harvestedfrom a local farm in Elile Village, Eastern Obolo LGA Akwa, Ibom State, Nigeria. Sorghum and soybeanwere purchased from Urua Akpan Ndem Market in Uyo Metttropolis, Akwa Ibom State and crayfish waspurchased at Lagos fishing pot in Eastern Obolo LGA, Akwa Ibom State. Breadnut and sorghum werecombined in the ratio of 50:50 (B1SSC), 70:30 (B2SSC), and 80:20 (B3SSC) while soybeans and crayfishwere 20:10 at constant rate in the formulated foods, 100 % cerelae (B4IF) were used as control. Proximatecomposition of the complementary foods was determined while sensory evaluation was done to determinetheir organoleptic quality and acceptability. The sensory attributes and nutrients were high and weregenerally acceptable, had no significant P>0.05 with B4IF (cerelae). Hence, it could be recommended as amore adequate complementary food than cerelac. Breadnut should be used when fortifying complementaryfood made from sorghum and can be use as alternative for cerelac to improve the nutritional health ofinfants.